A Fresh Start
by Shelley421
Summary: Bella and her adopted sister,Alice, move from an abusive home in search of her birth parent. She finds her father. The girls decide to move to Forks for a fresh start. Bella and Ali find that their new family grows as they befriend the Cullens and Hales.
1. Preface

A Fresh Start

Chapter 1

My name is Isabella Swan. I was born on September 13th 1992 in Phenix, Arizona. When I was one and a half years old I was adopted by James and Victoria Carter. They already had a three year old son, Laurent. They were always mean to me. Laurent wasn't as bad as his parents but little boys know how to bring down a child's self esteem like no body's business. When I was five and Laurent was ten, they adopted another little girl, Alice. She was only two years younger than me and was extremely energetic but kind we became fast friends...sisters. They always treated her like a little princess and me like a pebble in their shoe, but I don't blame Alice for that. It wasn't her fault.

On my sixteenth birthday that's when everything got really bad. That is the day that James decided I should become a "woman" - he raped me and after, Victoria beat me. I thought it was a one time thing but apparently I was wrong. James and Victoria had their _fun _with me every night until my eighteenth birthday. That night I packed my bags and left. I went strait to the hospital and got a rape kit done and photo's taken of my bruises and scars.

Alice knew what was happening to me and I didn't plan on leaving her there. She would be turning sixteen in two months and I couldn't take the chance that they would do to her what they did to me. So, I took James and Victoria to court and filed to be Alice's legal guardian until she was was of legal age to be on her own. I had already been taking care of both of us since she came so needless to say I won the case. I had a secret stash of money for when I turned eighteen and it came in handy, thought the court gave us $100 000 of James and Victoria's money to help support us. School had already started so I rented us an apartment near by and got a job. My goal was to find my birth parents. Alice's died in a car accident, that's why she was with us in the first place, so I searched for mine.

After two months, I found them. Renee Dwyer and Charlie Swan. Renee in married to a minor league baseball player, Phil Dwyer. They married five years after I was born, and now live in Jacksonville ,Florida. Charlie and Renee married each other right after hight school and divorced a year later, eight months before I was born. He is now the Chief of Police in the small town of Forks Washington. Also known as the rainiest place on the continent. Great.

Charlie was closer so Alice and I decided to go their first. We decided to go for the Christmas holiday. I couldn't pull us out of school or child services might take Alice away. So Ali and I Got on a plane and headed to Forks washington.

Forks was so small that we had to land in Port Angels. The nearest airport. We had decided that the conversation I needed to have with Charlie was one you did in person, so h had no idea that we were coming. We hailed a taxi and took the two hour drive to Forks, to my dad.

When we passed the sign that said "Welcome to Forks" we directed the driver to the police station. We had looked up a map of Forks on google so we knew where to go, but he didn't need our directions.

As we paid the driver, opened our umbrella's and got out of the car I felt like I was ready to have a panic attack. I hadn't had one in over four months and it was scary.

"Alice maybe we shouldn't have come. I mean what if he knew Renee was pregnant. I am so stupid we should just go back to Phenix." I was rambling but I didn't care. I just needed to get out of there. I had always hated being the centre of attention and it just got worse as I got older. _Damn, how could i be so stupid. He doesn't want me here. Stupid, stupid, stupid! _

I was pulled out of my inner battle by Alice shaking me. "Bella. You need to do this. Even if he doesn't want you here, which I doubt, than you still need to know. You can't grow old thinking _what if. _ Now get your ass in there and talk to him. Do you want me to come?" Alice said, turning back into the mini drill Sargent she was.

"Mhmm." I mumbled, unable to form a coherent sentence.

"Good." She said before dragging me into the building where I could be humiliated beyond repair or I could find a man who just didn't know I existed and would want me – a father.

As we walked in and closed our umbrella's five sets of eyes latched on to us. Alice, being the fearless pixie she was walked strait up to the help dest and said, "Excuse me, we're looking for Chief Charlie Swan."

"Of course mam, may I say who's wishing to speak to him." The officer was looking at her like eye candy. I didn't like it, but Alice could handle herself.

"Please just tell him that it's someone important who he will want to see. Thank you." The officer looked a little bit stunned but put in the call anyways.

"If you would just wait over there. The Chief will be with you in a minute." He said, directing us to a row of chairs by the door.

True to his word, a minute later, a man approached us. His medium brown hair was receding and he had kind, brown eyes, thought his were a little bit lighter than mine. He was wrinkling a little bit, had a prominent worry line and the ghost of smile lines. He looked sad. When his eyes wrested on me they widened a little bit.

"Hello, I am Chief Swan. My deputy said you wanted to talk to me?" He said after clearing his voice.

"Yes, would you mind if talked somewhere a little more private?" Alice asked. Well Alice doesn't really _ ask _for much, everything she says has a sense of finality to it. You just don't argue with Alice.

"Yes, um...how about we go to my office." He kept glancing at me distractedly as he talked and I could feel the blood rushing up to my cheeks. I ducked my head in embarrassment but followed them to his office.

While we walked I was making connections between us. I was already sure that he was my father. It's not really that we look alike, because we don't, but because he seems to have the same countenance as myself. When we arrived he stood awkwardly by the door asAlice and I walked in. Alice, of course, made herself at home immediately in one of the chairs across from his desk I slowly sat down in the other as Chief Swan took his position behind his desk.

"Um...Hello. I'm sorry to disturb you at work Chief Swan but um...well-" I was cut off by Alice.

"What we wanted to talk to you about is of kind of urgent." Alice, getting strait to the point as always.

"Alright then. What can I do for you." Chief Swan said stoically.

I cleared my throat. _Get strait to the point, _I told myself sternly. I took a deep breath and started. "My name is Isabella and I was adopted when I was one and a half by James and Victoria Carter. They treated my like a slave...not a child and encouraged their son to pick in me. When I was five, they adopted Alice." I said, motioning to my sister. I steadied myself and continued. "When I was sixteen James began to rape me. When I turned eighteenth I left and brought them to court. With the evidence against them they were put in jail and I was given custody of Alice. We decided to look for my birth parents after we were able to get our lives back together. So I looked and finally they gave me my birth certificate. I was born on September 13th 1992 to Renee McAdams and Charlie Swan." I said holding my breath. I didn't dare look at Charlie. "So, Alice and I waited until winter break and decided to come here and well...get some answers. You were the only Charlie Swan in the U.S who was married to a Renee McAdams at some point and Forks is closer to Phenix, where we live, than California so we decided to come here first. We don't want to encroach on on your life so you can tell us to leave if you like and we will leave you alone." I said, keeping my head down.

After a few minutes of silence I stood up. "It was nice to meet you Chief Swan. Sorry for disturbing you." I said as I turned to leave.

"Wait." Charlie said. I stopped in my tracks and slowly turned on my heel, keeping my head down. He let out a shaky breath, "I didn't know." He whispered. That made me look up, brow furrowed expectantly.

Charlie let out a gust of breath and sat down again, head between his hands. "Renee and I were high school sweet hearts and married as soon as we graduated. We had decided to take a year before going off to collage. We went to the community collage in Port Angels. A few weeks in Renee told me she was leaving. She was already packed. She left that night and sent me the divorce papers a few weeks later. I had no idea she was pregnant. I had no idea I've had a daughter for half my life. How could she keep something like that from me?" He was getting angry now. He slumped down in his chai and said, "I'm sorry." so quietly I almost didn't hear him.

That confused me. He had nothing to be sorry for. He was completely ignorant to my existence, he didn't know. I voiced my concerns and he let out humourless laugh.

"I could have done something." He said stubbornly. There was an awkward silence for a few moments before Alice, in a truly "Alice" moment, said, "Well at least we know you're really related. You're both stubborn as a mule it seems."

Charlie let out a deep chuckle and I blushed crimson, finding and interesting scrape on the floor.

"Well," said Charlie, "I can't just let you go now can I?" He asked rhetorical. "What would you to say to coming here for a while. You can stay with me if you want and we've got a hight school too. I know you don't know me all very well but I'd like to get to now you." He said, blushing slightly. "Both of you." He added, looking at Alice.

Alice looked exited and squealed happily, jumping at Charlie and hugging him tightly. He seemed quite taken aback with her exuberance, but gave her a timid smile and hugged her too. He looked over at me while I bit my lip, torn. I would really like to get to know him and so did Ali but I really didn't want us to be a burden. I told him as much and he smiled slightly and nodded.


	2. Chapter 1

A Fresh Start

Chapter 1

By the time the week was done, Alice and I had all of our things packed up and moved to Forks. Charlie had an nice house, so we both had our own rooms with quite a few to spare. He seems to be a lonely man and even in the one day we've been here so far I can tell that I will be the chef in the house. Alice and Charlie are getting along amazingly. I was worried about uprooting her but now I can see that her home is where ever she is. She can make friends in a heartbeat. There's no awkward beginnings of friendships with Alice where you feel you need to be polite. She makes it feel like you've known her forever.

Tonight Charlie's neighbors are coming over for supper. There aren't that many houses around here, only two, but both they and Charlie have quite a large property so we have enough space. Apparently both of the neighboring families have kids around our age. Charlie won't tell us much about them, only that one of them is is Doctor, his wife an interior designer, and that they have two sons, Emmett and Edward, both of them adopted.

The other neighbor, the Hales, is a businessman and own a large company in Seattle. His wife is teacher at the local elementary school and they have twins, Rosalie and Jasper. Both of them are a year ahead of me. He says that they're all very nice and that we should get along well.

Alice has spent the entire day bouncing around like she's been drinking concentrated sugar for all her life. She's like the energizer bunny on crack. I am cooking Fettuccine Alfredo. Charlie said that one of the Cullen boys had the appetite of a giant so I'm making extra. The Hales are bringing a salad and the Cullens are bringing dessert.

At five o'clock sharp we heard a knock at the door. I heard Alice let out a very high pitched squeal and ran toward the door. I stayed in the kitchen and chuckled at the sounds of shock and surprise coming from which ever family was at the door as, I imagine, Alice through herself at them squealing. I heard her ushering them into the living room as Charlie Came down the stairs.

After a few minutes I decided it was time to come out of hiding. I took a deep breath and set the stove to simmer. I really don't want the pasta to burn.

As I neared the living room I could hear Alice's tinkling laughter mixed in with a deep male booming laugh. As I rounded the corner into the living room I kept my head down. Tripping is not an option when meeting your new neighbors, and I have a tendency to do just that. When every one saw me all conversation stopped. Then, Alice let out yet another squeal.

"Every one, this is my sister Bella." She trilled. "Bella look up!" She chastised me. I could practically see a blush being painted on my cheeks.

I took another deep breath and looked up to see who was in our living room. Sitting on the various couches and chairs were eight strangers, who I can only assume are the Cullens and Hales. Some of them were looking at me curiously, others with a reassuring smile. A girl about my age, who looked like a super model, was looking at me with what could only be described as distane. I quickly cast my eyes down again and blushed furiously.

"Hi." I said quietly, hiving a small wave. Suddenly I was pulled into a huge bone crushing hug.

"Emmett, put the poor girl down. You'll suffocate her." A calming female voice chastised. I was immediately set back on the ground.

"Sorry mom." The bear of a boy mumbled. I was quickly enveloped in another pair of arms. These of a woman. It was gentle and loving and I couldn't help but hug her back.

After a few moments, the woman pulled back to look at my face, keeping her hands on my arms. She was very beautiful. She had wavy caramel coloured hair, vibrant green eyes and a kind face. She practically radiated love and warmth. "Hello dear." She said in melodic voice. "My name is Esme Cullen. I'm so glad to meet you!"

I smiled at her shyly as she let me go. "This is my husband, Carlisle." She said lovingly, pointing to a very handsome man with blonde hair and blue eyes.

Carlisle came over and shook my hand gently. "It's a pleasure Bella." He said in a sing song voice.

"Likewise." I said quietly. I really hate being the centre of attention. Alice, knowing this, decided to take over the introductions.

"Bella this is Mr. and Mrs. Hale." She said perkily, pointing to the couple sitting on the love seat. The man was dressed in a suit and the woman in a blouse and pencil skirt. You could tell just by looking at them that they are a very posh uptight couple.

They both gave me small smiles that even I could see were fake with a tight nod. I gave them a small smile back. They seem to not like me. What did I do to offend them?

I was pulled from my wonderings by Alice. "These are their children Jasper," she sounded dreamy when she said his name...they would make a nice couple. Jasper looked very much like his parents, sand blond hair and sky blue eyes. He seems like a calm boy, perfect for Alice. She needs someone to balance her. I gave him a genuine smile and he returned it.

"and Rosalie." Rosalie. She was beautiful and it made my small amount of self esteem drop significantly just by being in the same room as her. She looked at me like I'd just committed a serious felony. I quickly looked at my shoes again.

"Next we have the Cullen kids. Edward and Emmett." Alice sang. I chucked at her enthusiasm and looked up. "Emmett's the huge one next to Rosalie." As I looked at Emmett I could see why she called him huge. I was sure there was no fat on him. He was a solid mountain of mussel. My fears disappeared thought when I looked at his face. He looked like a goofy kid in a candy shop with the huge grin on is looked like a giant teddy bear, an Emmy Bear. I couldn't help but grin back at him.

"And Edward is sitting on the reclined in the corner." Alice said. When I turned around my heart nearly stopped at the sight before me.

Edward Cullen.

* * *

_**Please update! I need feed back!**_


	3. Read! Important!

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